Day One, Spring Training

Day One, Spring Training

"The one constant through all the years…has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it’s a part of our past. … It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh… people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come."

— James Earl Jones, Field of Dreams

Today the Dodgers are launching a team blog which will be called, "Inside the Dodgers." It is our sincere hope that much like the cornfields in Iowa, "if we build it, you will come."

As many of you may know, the White Sox began a blog midway though the 2005 season and look how it turned out for them! The Rangers followed suit and as the Director of Public Relations of the Dodgers, I will be joining several other members of our team in bringing you the ins and outs and ups and downs of Dodger baseball in 2006. Among the contributors will be myself (Josh Rawitch), team historian Mark Langill and Vice President of Player Development and Scouting Roy Smith, who will all be giving our fans a taste of what goes on behind the scenes at the Dodgers.

So on this, the first day of Spring Training, I am posting this entry from my office at Dodgertown, where the first Grapefruit League game takes place in just 15 days. We’ve already seen most of the pitchers and catchers who are reporting today, as well as several position players like Nomar Garciaparra, Jayson Werth and Willy Aybar.

Check back often, as we’ll be updating the blog daily throughout Spring Training and the regular season, and please ask questions and give us your input. While we might not be able to reply to every single comment, we want to keep this blog as interactive as possible.

Thanks to you, Mark and Roy for taking the time to keep us loyal fans updated. A blog is not only a great way to keep us up to date, but also a great way for the fans to connect with each other. I hope you’ll be able to post some photos as well!

I love it! This blog certainly seems like a great way to keep the true blue fans more connected to the ins and outs of the Dodger organization. And I second the other posters who are wishing for some photos from spring training- seeing them really gets us hyped!

Another great quote: It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone.

Unfortunately for you Dodgers fans, the Giants are about to win the season series for the second year in a row, along with the division. With such an injury prone offense (Izturis, Garciaparra, Drew, etc.) and a questionable bullpen (who knows how Gagne will be after surgery?)and a slightly inferior starting rotation to the black and orange, I fully expect the Giants to overcome the Dodgers by the end of the season.
That said, best of luck to you guys this year. Here’s to the feud, and may be the best team win (which, unfortunately for you, is the Giants).

I always thought that Yankee fans were the rudest and ugliest – boy did a Dodgers vs. Giants game prove me wrong! … And Eric’s post proves it!

I’m sure there are normal, respectful, human-like Giants fans out there, but at the game I attended they were loud, rude, stupid, obnoxious, disrespectful and drunker than I ever would have imagined possible on Miller Lite. Some of the loudest cheering was elicited whenever a Giants fan was ejected from Dodgers stadium.

As I sit here on my Authentic Dodger Stadium Seats, I am so looking forward to the new season. As of now we are undefeated. Good luck to the new Dodgers and let’s get behind the new Dodgers and root them into October.

I’m real excited about this site!! Can’t wait for the season to begin!! Nothing left in the hoops season after the HORRIFIC exhibition by the Lakers tonight. The Lakers need a GM like Colletti; someone who makes bold, exciting moves to improve the team. It’ll be a great ’06!!

This will be a great season for our Boys In Blue! Unlike the Halloween costume color wearing team from the Bay, we don’t need to rely on an old, washed up, has been on steriods. Oops, sorry, “flaxseed oil”. I can’t wait to hear those timeless words uttered every spring….”PLAY BALL!” GO DODGERS!!

Hey Josh,
What a great idea to start a blog for all the Dodger fans. I will be telling everyone I know in the San Fernando valley who is a Dodger fan to log in and check this out! Good luck this year and have fun in Florida

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